The Sun. — London, England, 1864-01-28 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE, MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, & LINCOLNSHIRE. The half-yearly meeting was held yesterday at :Manchester—Mr. J. Chapman, M.P., the chairman, presided. The report was taken as read. The CHAIRMAN congratulated the shareholders upon the favourable statement of accounts, Although, he said, the company had lost an enor mous amount of traffic on the Ashton, Staleybridge, and Hadfield portion of the line, as well as from other hitherto paying districts, owing to the de pressed state of the cotton trade, the deficiency had been made up by the vitality of other portions, from the good trade of Sheffield and from the good har vest of last autumn. In spite of this a dividend equal to any the shareholders had previously re ceived was offered. And not only was there a di vidend of 11 per cent., but a respectable balance would be carried over to the next half-year. The state of Europe was at present very precarious; and if unfortunately war broke out there as well as in America, the prospects of all . railway companies, theirs among the number, would be jeopardised. Taking, ;however, the Manchester, Sheffield, and lincolnshire Railway as it was, there was a very good prospect ; it was not dependent upon foreign lines; it was not dependent upon the traffic which was interrupted by the American war ; and, losing not only the coal which ought to be carried to work the factory steam engines, but the cotton to be manufactured by them, and the calicoes and other similar products, it was still prosperous. There were some very extensive works on the railway, some finished, others in progress, and some in contem plation, which would bring a large increase of traffic with which there could be no competition. As some of these works were joint-stock concerns, the directors would behave liberally to the share• holders, so as to induce them not only to extend their trade, but also to give every facility, with a view to mutual benefit. The increase of the com pany's.returns over the corresponding period of last year was £31,321, including the South Yorkshire traffic. Owing to the stoppage of several collieries in the South Yorkshire district the company had suffered from the agreement with the South York shire ; but during the last half-year, notwithstand ing the bad times, there was no loss whatever upon that lease. A gratifying item also was the large increase of traffic as compared with the very small increase of cost in working the traffic. The work ing of the line would have appeared far more fa vourable had not more than £lO,OOO been taken from the suspense account and charged against re venue. Of course if this had not been done the re ceipts divisible among the proprietors would have been so much larger. A sub-committee had re ported on the suspense account, and had recom mended the board to divide it equally over eight half-years, instead of carrying them forward un equally overla greater number. The directors had spent £20,000 in finding fresh stock for the canals, which, having no capital, were supported from re venue. The rather large amount spent upon capital was for works sanctioned for lines in Cheshire, and other improvements. In retiring from the chair manship, owing to ill-health, after 25 years' service, he could not but acknowledge the great kindness with which he had always been received. Mr. FENTON, deputy-chairman of the company, in seconding the motion, said he was glad to observe that, notwithstanding the increased traffic of the past half-year, it had been accomplished at so little extra cost. The increase in the locomotive depart ment was only £l,lOO, while that of permanent W-ay was also £l,lOO, and all the extra expense, including general charges, was only about £4,000. (llcar, hear.) A shareholder had called at tention at a past meeting to the position of their canal property. Tne directors quite agreed - with the remarks of that gentleman, and having previously directed attention to the management of the canals,i they had effected a saving in the half-year of more than £2,000, and might look for ward to an annual saving of about £5,000. (A pplanse.) Dr. COWAN, in asking a number of questions on various points, expressed his opinion that other com panies had suffered much from making extensions, fhom leases of other lines, and from docks and sea going vessels, and said that he hoped this company, now they were in an improved position, would ab stein from a like course, and pursue a policy of Jetting well alone. Mr. FILDEIt congratulated the shareholders upon the improved position of the company. Mr. ROBERTS expressed himself adverse to this company's connexion with the South Yorkshire line; and hoped they would in future avoid the adoption of landowners' schemes for new lines. Mr. E, W. I VVATKIN said in reply that the board ware unanimous in their resolve to give no guaran tee to these branch lines, nor would they commit themselves to any outlay for extensions without bringing the matter specifically before the share holders, and obtaining their consent. (Hear.) But as to pledging themselves that under no circumstances would they recommend the shareholders to give a guarantee, or sanction a new outlay, that would be at once to part with their interests, and their position in the district, and would invite that attack, which it was the directors' duty, as far as they could, to re pel. (Hear.) With regard to the Cheshire lines, two detached portions of the whole measured only 111 miles in length, and it was sot possible for them to pay without connexion with the remainder. But these were lines in which their friends of the Great Northern were equal partners and whatever the profit or loss they would join, if the report were passed, in carrying out and completing these undertakings. The first object was to get an independent and final footing in Liverpool; second, to get by means of these Cheshire lines a proper footing for their traffic at Birken head; and thirdly, to be able to get a supply of Cheshire salt for the development of their ports of Grimsby and New Holland, which at present they were obliged to bring by way of Crewe, and by this detour the amount of traffic was reduced to the lowest possible amount. Until they get access to those seats of traffic it was quite impossible that the policy they had in view could be practically realised. (Hear.) It was much to be deplored that at a time when railway property was beginning to some ex tent to recover itself 350 railway bills for new pro jects, many of which ought never to be made, be cause they would never pay—(hear)—were thrown upon the floor of Parliament, compelling them, in spite of everything they could do, to appear in that most expensive of all expensive courts with lawyers ma d engineers to protect their rights and property wherever they might be attacked. In 1856 their cest for fuel on the average of the year was 3t j. per mile; he was happy to say that in 1863, for the December half-year, the cost was reduced to e.37d. He thought that this economy reflected credit upon the locomotive superintendent. (Hear.) It was most satisfactory to have carried 156,000 more tons of goods and 250,000 more passengers at an extra expenditure for fuel of only £4O. (Applause.) In reference to Mr. Chapman's resignation, Mr. Wat kins bore witness to his undeviating honour, his constant industry, and the good feeling and high principle that had distinguished his chairmanship. He was satisfied that Mr. Chapman would retire from the chair and take his seat at the board with . the unanimous thanks and good wishes of the meet ing. lApplaus e .) T heir policy as a railway company must be the same as their individual policy—to mind their own bu siness —(hear)—get as much traffic as they could, and to obtain it at the smallest possible expense, and t o go l ogo no extension or ne w undertaking into wb'ch they were not po.si lively driven ; at the 'same time they must hold their own posit;.nn. Their position as regarded surrounding companies w as ne of considerable change, for the ae.ount of their exchange traffic showed their line to be h necessity. Independent of their large partnership traffic with the Lanca- Fhire and Yorkshire and London and North Western companies, the total cost of which was di v i ded, their independent treffie with the former company 'amounted to no less than £33,000 per annum, and 'th the latter company to £61,000 per annum ; the Midland it was £65,000; and their tote' 'e traffic with their ally, the Great Northern was no less thee' £270,000. (Heer, hear.) se reoulta were to be attributed to their op-TLIA. up railway routes for the development of the largest amount of traffic, which led to an endeavour to accommodate the public in the most efficient and economical manner, which opposed all those destructive agreements which at tempted to compel traffic to flow in particular chan nels, and in fact opened up a railway system of intercommunication which he believed would ulti mately give them decent dividends. He took en couragement from their past experience. A few years ago their ordinary stock was at 17, whereas now it was 51 ; their other stock was then equally low, and nobody would lend them a shilling. They had survived all that; they had greatly improved the concern, and he believed they cold improve it still further. (Applause.) The motion of the chairman was then carried unanimously. Motions declaring a dividend of 11 per cent. per annum for the half-year on the ordinary stock (in addition to preference and other dividends), for the re-election of the retiring directors, and for the re-appointment of Mr. S. P. Robinson as auditor, were carried without dissent. Mr. FILDES moved, " That the directors be in structed to charge to capital part of the amount of £59,081 now standing to the debit of the suspense account—namely, to the extent of £46,500, being a like amount to that which has already in past years been debited improperly to revenue, and that the remainder be liquidated out of revenue in equal pro portions over four years." The motion was seconded, and carried with only two dissentients. The business concluded with a vote of thanks to Mr. Chapman (on his retirement from the chair) for his past services to the company, and to the Board generally, At a meeting of the Board of directors of the com pany held previously to the general meeting, Mr. E. W. Watkin was elected chairman of the com pany. RAILWAY BILLS. Yesterday the promoters of the following railway bills before the examiners were declared to have complied with the standing orders of Parliament : LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.—For amalga mation with the Devon, Bideford Extension, and Southampton and Netley Railway Companies ; for extension of time for completing Andover and Red bridge Railway; and for new lines at Leatherhead and Battersea. WEST NORFOLK.—For a railway from the Lynn and Hunstanton at Heacham to the Great Eastern at Wells--capital, L 75,000; loan, £25,000. LANCASHIRE UNION.—For railways in the cnunty of Lancaster, between the towns of Blackburn, Chorley, Wigan, Parr, and St. Helen's—capital, £500,000 ; loan, £166,000. SHREWSBURY AND WELCHPOOL.—For lease either to the London and North Western or Great Western Railway Companies. DUBLIN TRUNK (CONNECTING).—For a connect ing system of railways in Dublin. MARKET HARBOROUGH AND EAST NORTON.—For a railway from the Rugby alai Stamford line of the London and North-Western to East Norton in Lei cestershire—capital, £60,000 ; loan, £20,000. BRECON AND MERTHYR TYDFIL (No. 2).—For extensions from the Romney Railway to Cardiff— capital, £lBO,OOO ; loan, £60,000. GARSTANG AND KNOT-END.—For railway from the Lancaster and Preston Junction, Garstang sta tion, to Knot-end, Lancaster—capital, £60,000; loan, £20,000. CARNARVON AND LLANBERIS (No. I).—For a railway from Carnarvon to Llanberis—capital, £74,000 ; loan, £24,000. The Bill for the Carnarvon and L'anberis (No. 2), a competing line, by an entension from the Carnal-- vonshire Railway at Llanbeblig to Llanberis, and to a junction with the Nanale railway—capital, £llO,OOO ; loan, £36,ooo—has also been declared to have complied with the standing orders. KNUTSFOIID AND WARRINGTON.—For a railway between those places--capital, £130,000 ; loan, £43,300. RhTmney (Extensions) and Bristol Port Eaten sicns. Helston and Penryn—capital, £120,000; loan £40,000. Dublin, Wexford, and Wicklow (devia tions and extensions); Lancaster Canal Transfer, and Sheffield, Chesterfield, and Staffordshire. The Bill for the Petersham Railway was with drawn. Cotton Supply Association, Smyna. A strong and heartfelt desire is continually manifested by the government to eecourage the growth of eotton in every practicable way. Grants of seed were made for Pernambuco, where it is greatly in demand, and where it is said every pound will be immediately planted, for Shanghae and other places. At the usual weekly meeting of the Executive Committee, held on Tuesday, a letter was read from JamaLa, stating that the writer is devoting himself to the cultivation of cotto❑ on the north side of the island; and having great influence with the natives he is exerting it to induce them to become growers of cotton as well as himself, whilst he pap special attention to the due preparation of what is produced for the market. The negroes, though not adverse, and oven desirous that cotton should succeed, do not believe that it will, neither do 99 out of every 100 of the other inhabitants; but encouraged by the trials already made, and by his own deliberate conviction, he is boldly prosecuting the work, and expects that his success will stimulate others to ex ertion, A letter was received stating that the cul tivation of cotton is extending in Barbary, and that the natives are entering into it with great earnest- ness. A great mistake has been made in many instances in growing the various sorts of cotton promiscuously ; this has been especially the case in Algeria, and the cotton thus produced has been found unsaleable if not useless. The writer men tions a beautiful track of country near Tangier, containing upwards of 20,000 acres, abundantly watered by springs, and totally uncultivate3, which might be made available for the growth of cotton. A despatch was read, forwarded by the Colonial-office, from the Governor of Queensland, on the introduction of Chinese immigrants into that colony to grow cotton, and stating that there is no law in force, as in some of thA colonies in Australia, to impede the immigration, at their own expense, or at the expense of private employers, of the inhabitants of China or of any other country ; but that emigration from Europe only can be assisted at the public expense, according to the regulations sanctioned by the Queensland Parliament. Oa the question from what sou►ce can a permanent supply of the raw material suitable for our manufactures, and capable of competing with the product of the Southern States of America, be obtained, the despatch repeats what his excellency had previously stated, viz. ; " That the whole question of the supply of Asiatic labour really affects the mother country far more than the colony. The Government and legislature of Queensland have done all in their power, by offering free grants of land, premiums on the exportation of cotton, and other facilities and en conragGments, to assist the parent state in the pre sent crisis in the supply of the raw material of her staple manufacture. Mr. Baxley and other practical men are of opinion that sufficient cotton for the de mands of the English trade might be grown in Queensland alone with the aid of Asiatic labour, which they deem indispensable. But if cotton is to be grown on an extensive scale it must be by English capitalists, the capital of the colonists being already for the most part absorbed in growing wool. It fol lows that any restrictions, or difficulties and delays equivalent to restrictions, imposed on the introduc tion of Asiatic labour, whether Hindoo or Chinese, will fall far more heavily on the capitalists and manufacturers in England than on the colonists in Queensland." A letter was received from Smyrna from the Vice President of the Cotton Commission of Anatolia, stating that the attention of the Im perial government has been specially directed to the importance of promoting the use of American seed, and that the Minister of Commerce is now practi tally engaged with the subject. The eaotic seed, distributed and planted last year, was so late that it cam e up just in time for the locusts, and fell a p rey to to them. Some hesitation as to using exoti c seed has consequently been felt by the native cultivators, which will be removed by a good harvest and the successful results in other districts. Notwithstand ing all difficulties and discouragements cotton grow. ing has taken a firm hold, ginning establishments have sprung up in all the chief districts, and the Imperial government has just sent down 25 of Platt's gins for distribution in the country districts around THE SUN , LONDON, TIM_RSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2E4, 1864: tion of a city and country life. Among all classes of men in the city, at 20 and upwards, themean age at death is scarcly 52 years, whereas in all England it is nearly 56. Among women at 20 and upwards the mean age at death in the city is little less than 50, though in the rest of England it is a little more. It would appear from this that there is a general loss of about four years in the lifetime of every man in the city, but the different classes show remarkable variations in this respect, The merchant and shopkeeper, for instance, says Dr. Letheby, die at the mean age of 57, the clerk at 54; the tailor, shoemaker, labourer, carpenter, and porter at from 51 to 52 ; the cabman, ostler, and carman at 50 ; the costermonger and hawker at 19, and the printer at 45. The wives in these classes in every instance have a much longer duration of life than their husbands, for it commonly reaches to about 56 years, and therefore it is presumed that the circumstances which shorten existence in the city are not so much in the homes of the people as in their occupations and habits. With respect to the causes of death clariiig the year, of every 1,000 deaths, among all classes in the city, there were 164 from pneumonia and bronchitis, 133 front phthisis, 76 from tabes and scrofula, 25 from hydrocephalus, 55 from convulsions and teething, 27 from diarrheas, 71 from scarlet fever, 39 from continued fever, 15 from smallpox, 24 from measles, 9 from erysipelas, 50 from whooping cough, croup, and diphtheria, G 2 from violence, privation, and poison, and 270 from causes of a chronic nature. Altogether, there were 214 deaths in every 1,000 from tubercular diseases, 164 from inflammatory affections of the lungs, and 235 from diseases of a zymotic character, The average number for the last ten years are 212 from the first-named maladies, 164 from the second, and 236 from the third. In all Eng land the proportions are 160, 149, and 191 respectively. Each of these groups of diseases is thus seen to be more prevalent and fatal in the city than elsewhere. were five sovereigns in the drawer, which he claimed as i his property. On searching him I found a key Which fitted the box. I subsequently found at the Waterloo Station, 13s 10d in money, as well as a watch and chain. I also found a letter received from Mr. Kennedy, secretary of the Bombay, Baroda, and Central Indian Railway, 10, Liverpool-street, New Broad-street, London. It was dated Nov. 7, and stated, in answer to an application for an ap pointment on that railway made by the prisoner, that there was at that time no vacancy, but that his name should be entered upon the company's book. I also found the second letter in Mrs. Harris's handwriting, which has been read. I went to London, and at the Waterloo station found a box directed to Mrs. Wilson, &c. The key found upon the prisoner fitted the lock. In the box were £33 in gold, and also a slip of paper, on which the following was written : " Dearest,—l have taken £5 back for other opportunities. The rest is in the box, as Charley (meaning the prosecutor) is in a way, and it may be found out if any one should see I had so much money. Keep away from any of your friends. He has sent to Chapple-street (the residence of Mrs. Harris's grandfather) to day." Mr. Samuel Davis, superintendent of the Salisbury sta- tion of the South-Western Railway, knew the prisoner's handwriting, and believed that on the scrap of paper found in the box at the Waterloo station was the prisoner's, but he could not swear positively to it. The Bench having heard Mr. Wilson for the prisoner, expressed their opinion that there was sufficient evidence to warrant them in sending the case for trial. Mrs. Betsy Harris was then called by Mr. Wilson, and said she had determined to leave her husband, not because he ill-used her, but because he made use of bad language She knew the prisoner in consequence of his visiting her husband's house. On Wednesday last she took some clothes and money to the railway station, and asked the prisoner to forward them to Waterloo station, and handed _An £5 to pay expenses. But there was no engagement between her and the prisoner to meet each other in India, though she proposed to go out herself, and applied at a house in Birchin-lane to take part of a berth, but she was asked £6O, which she thought too much, Her letters to the prisoner were certainly very unguarded in expression. Cross-examined—l do not generally address gentlemen as" Here I am, my darling." (Laughter.) I made an ex ception in this case, because the prisoner was my tool. I gave Stainton £5 to purchase the box, and to meet any ex penses to which he might be subject in assisting me in escaping from my husband. I took £54 from my husband altogether. I intended to earn my own living in India. I have mentioned about going to India to the prisoner. He told me that he had applied for a situation in India. I did not make any arrangements for Stainton to see me in Lon don. I spoke to the prisoner about leaving Salisbury the first time on the Wednesday morning. I left on Wednes- day at a quarter-past two. The children I left in the care of their father. The Bench then committed the prisoner for trial at the ensuing spring assizes, to be held at Devizes, but they con sented to take bail, himself in £2OO and two sureties of £lOO each. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. Yesterday a meeting of merchants and bankers in the city of London, who had recently formed themselves into a com mittee for raising a fund for the interior decoration of the great metropolitan Cathedral, was held at the Mansion house, the Lord Mayor presiding. The committee is com posed of the Lord Mayor, Alderman Rose, M.P., Mr. Go schen, M,P., Alderman Dakin, Mr, Henry Sykes Thornton, the banker. Mr. William Gladstone, Mr. Butterworth, the eminent law publisher, and Mr. Francis Fuller. It sounds strangely at this day to say that the interior of the Cathedral has never been finished, but so it is, and until within the last five years no attempt upon anything like a grand scale has been made to adorn it after the manner con templated by Sir Christopher Wren. The present Dean and Chapter in particular have long felt the reproach im plied by the cold, unornamented, and unfinished interior of the edifice, and the more so as the result of ecclesiastical legislation of late years has been to leave them barely revenues sufficient to maintain the Cathedral in a decent state of repair, and none certainly to be applied to its adorn ment and completion. They have had, therefore, to appeal to the public, and since 185 S, when a subscription was first set on foot for the purposes in question, about £lO,OOO has been raised, exclusive of £4,100 given for special objects in the scheme of decoration, including £750 by the corpora tion of London, £550 by the Goldsmiths' Company, £4OO by:the Drapers' Company, £2OO each by five of the City companies—namely, the Grocers, the Merchant Taylors, the Mercers, the Goldsmiths, and the Fishmongers ; £l,OOO by Mr. Brown, of the firm of Longman and Co.; and £lOO by Mr. Joshua W. Butterworth. About £6OO has also been received lately as the beginning of a guinea subscrip tion, to which a national character is now sought to be given on the presumption that the Cathedral of St. Paul is really a structure of national rather than of merely metropolitan interest. The proposal for completing and adorning the Cathedral consists, primarily, in filling 11 windows at the ends of the choir, nave, and transepts with painted glass of the highest quality, uniform in style, design, and execution ; in filling the spandrels of the dome and vaults and other suitable compartments, and ultimately the dome itself, with paint ings in mosaic, and the panels nearer the eye with a species of mosaic formed by inlaid marbles ; and generally in gild ing and encrusting with coloured marbles such parts of the architecture as require it to complete the decorative frame work. It is also regarded as of the first importance to finish the great organ in the south transept, and to complete the stallwork of the choir and other works which have been left incomplete. To some extent these intentions have been already realised, the committee for the completion of the interior, with his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury at their head, having been enabled to lay out about £1,600 in various decorative works up to May last, in addition to the expenses connected with the opening and enlargement of the choir and with the special services. Of late the Dean and Chapter have taken upon himself the entire charge incident to the Sunday evening services as a permanent ar rangement. The details of the general scheme of adorn ment, with an approximate statement of the cost of each particular portion of the work, have already been submitted to the public, as approved by the Dean and Chapter and the General Committee. The total cost is said to be esti mated at from £(30,000 to £70,000 of which only about one fifth has yet been obtained, Yesterday a letter, addressed to the Lord Mayor by Mr. Francis Fuller, of Cornhill, was read to the meeting. In this letter Mr. Fuller said if 400 gentlemen could be found to charge themselves with the responsibility of collecting £lOO each, the sum of £lO,OOO could be, in his opinion, easily raised within the next two years, and he should be willing to be one of the 400; or, if preferred, he should be willing to be ono of the 40, who should in that case charge themselves with the responsibility of collecting £l,OOO each within the same time. If the meeting should decide in fa vour of either of these plans they might rely on his hearty concurrence ; but he feared that unless some one man, or some body of men, would undertake the responsibility of raising the necessary amount of subscriptions within a given period, it would be long before the work was complete. Mr. W. C. SHONE, the hon. secretary to the fund, said he desired to correct what he knew to be an entirely errone ous notion out of doors—namely, that the Dean and Chap ter were rich enough to do all that was required for the Cathedral without extraneous aid. Their total inability to do so was explained by the Dean when the subject was first mooted in n 53, and afterwards by the Bishop of London, who stated in a letter " that there were no revenues at the disposal of the Dean and Chapter for the purpose in ques tion ; that the Dean and Chapter were all endowed on the reduced and limited scale determined by recent Acts of Par liament; and that there was no other fund available but public subscription for the adornment of the metropolitan national church." It was of the highest ieeportance, Mr. Shone added, to the success of the object in view that this fact should be generally known. The LORD MAYOR said the Dean and Chapter did no t even share in the increased value which their Cathedral property had acquired by the lapse of time. Of that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had the whole advantage. Mr. SHONE, in reply to the Lord May or, said the National Guinea Subscription which had recently been set on foot was not meant to shut out larger donations where these were offered, and he mentioned that Mr. Henry Hoare, the banker, had within the last few days given £lOO. Eventually, on the motion of Mr. Wei. GLADSTONE, seconded by Mr. MINRY S, THORNTON, a resolution was passed, authorising in effect an appeal to the public for a guinea subscription, leaving it optional at the same time for subscribers to give more if they chose, such appeal to be ac companied by an assurance that the Dean and Chapter, as a body, have no funds available for purposes of education. On the motion of Mr. BUTTERWORTH, a cordial vote of thanks was passed to the Lord Mayor, and the meeting separated, The Sanitary Condition of the City, According to a report of Dr. Letheby, just presented to the corporation of London, fur the past year, there were 2,962 births, 2,870 deaths, and 1,701 marriages registered in the city of London within the year. Each of these numbers is below the average for the last 10 years, the births having declined from an annual proportion of 3,350 to 2,962, the deaths from 2,969 to 2,870, and the marriages from 1,702 to 1,701. The falling off has been chiefly in the sentral division of the city, where the deaths have been reduced to the extent of 4 per cent of the annual proportion, and the births to nearly 15 per cent. It is remarkable, however, that the marriages in that division had been more numerous than usual. The mean birth rate for the whole city has been 2 . 6 per cent of the population, as compared with about 3.4 per cent of the population in the rest of London, and nearly 3i per cent in the whole of England. For the entire city there has been a general death rate of 25.1 in 1,000 of the population. The average death rate in the city during the last ten years is 24.3 per 1,000 of the inhabitants, as com pared with 21.4, the death rate of the chief towns and town districts of England—that of the whole of England being 22.2, and of the country districts 19.8. In the western union of the city, however, the death rate has been very high—viz , 29 . 3 in 1,000 of the population. Moreover, the mortality of males has been much greater than that of females, for the former have died at the rate of 27 per 1,000, and the latter at only 24; the averages throughout the country being. 23 and 21.6. About 39 per cent of all the deaths were among children of less than five years of age. This, at first sight, does not appear a large infant mortality, for the proportion in the rest of London is about 41 per cent, and in England it is nearly 40 ; but when it is considered that the number of young children in the city is compara tively small, that the births are far below the average, and that there is a constant importation of adult life, it will be evident, says Dr. Letheby, that the infant mortality is ex cessive. In fact, if the death rate be estimated by the pro portion to the living, instead of to the dead, it will be seen that nearly 89 in 1,000 of all the children under five years of age have died in the year. In all England the proportion is only 68 in 1,000, and in France 69. There are places in the city where one child in every five dies before it is a year oid, and there are others where the mortality is only one in seven. Out of 1,000 deaths of children under 15 years of age 415 occur in the first year, 460 at from one to five years of age, and 125 at from five to fifteen years. Throughout all England the numbers are 467, 372, and 161 respectively; the most fatal period of childhood in the city is, therefore, between the ages of ono and five. But after this, and for the next 30 years of life with men, and nearly 50 years with women, the circumstances of a city life are not generally unfavourable. At from 15 to 35 years of age the death-rate of men is only about 8 in 1,000, and of women 6.6 ; that of England being 8.7 and 9.1, From 35 to 65 years of age the mortality of men is 9 9 . 6 in 1000, and of women 20.2, the English death rate at those periods being 18.1 for men, and 167 for woolen; and lastly, from 6.5 and upward;, the men in the city die at the rate of 129 . 3 in 1,000, and the women at the rate of 1167, the mortality in the whole of England being 93 7 and 85.3. It would seem, therefore, that the chief strain on a city life is during childhood, from one to five years, and in manhood after the meridian of life has been passed. It also appears that in the latter ci , e the strain comes from occupation and from habits, rather than from any local circumstances about the homes of the people, for not only is the mortality greater among men than women, but there is a largo difference in the death rate of different classes. The general indications are, that while the mot ta lity of the better classes is not much higher than the ave rage death rate for the whole country, that of the labour is excessive. Again, the results of the last ten years show that of every 1,000 deaths in the city 145 obeur in workhouses, and about half of all the workhouse deaths are among five classes of persons—labourers, servants and charwomen, por ters and messengers, shoemakers, tailors, and necdlewomen. The facia brought to light by examining in detail the mean ago at death of the different classes in the city are not with out interest, for, although they do not give very accurate information of the probable lifetime of a citizen, yet they na -1 dicate sufficiently well the marked difference in the dura The Confederate War Steamer Georgia. Yesterday, at the Liverpool Police-court, before Mr. Raffles, stipendiary magistrate, John Jones, principal part ner, in the firm of Jones and Co., of Capel-street, Liver pool, ship store dealers and chandlers, and John Wilding, clerk in the service of that firm, surrendered for examina tion on a charge of having committed a breach of the Foreign Enlistment Act by aiding in procuring a crew for the Confederate war steamer Georgia. It will be remem bered that a few days ago Mr. Highat, another partner in the firm of Jones and Co„ was committed for trial at the next Liverpool assizes on the same charge ; but that at that time Jones and Wilding did not appear to the sum monses. They subsequently agreed, however, to surrender, and were in court yesterday. Mr. Bateson, local agent for the Treasury, appeared for the prosecution, on behalf of her Majesty's Government; Mr. Barddwell defended. The introductory facts were briefly these :—Some of the crew of the vessel were engaged at Liverpool, and others at Greenock, on the representation that they were about to proceed on a voyage to the China seas in the British ship Japan; but this vessel after reaching Brest was trans formed into the war steamer Georgia, bearing the Confe derate flag, and commanded by Captain Maury, who hell a commisesion for that purpose from President Davis. The method by which the crew were shipped will bo sufficiently understood from a very short synopsis of the evidence ad duced before Mr. Raffles. Mr. Bateson remarked in his opening statement that would nut be necessary to go into the case in any detail, as the main facts had already been fully before the Court. The chief witness was John Stanley, a cooper, who said he went to Jones and Co.'s office in consequence of a repre— sentation made to him that they desired to engage coopers for the Japan He saw Mr. Highat on the subject, and that gentleman said he (Stanley) might go on board the Japan, and asked whether he could bring any more men for the same vessel. Witness afterwards went, in company with other men, to the Sailors' Home, where he saw Captain Hitchcock, the person who had charge of them in their pas sage to the Clyde, where the Japan was then lying. At the Sailors' Home they signed articles for a voyage to Singa pore and China. He received an advance note from Jones and Co. far £4 10s., one month's wages, but he experienced great difficulty in getting the note cashed, and returned to the office to tell them of this. They then paid him £2 53. on account of the note, and Highat said he would pay the re mainder of the money to his (Stanley's) wife alter he had gone to sea. On leaving Liverpool for the Clyde Highat came down to the vessel, called over the names of the men, and also their numbers. On their arrival at Greenock they joined the Japan, and Jones came on board with several ' other men, The Japan sailed out of the Clyde apparently on a trial trip, being a new vesse', but did not return to port. Soon after leaving the Clyde a small steamer met the Japan, having two guns on board, and accompanied her to Brest, where two other vessels came alongside with guns, ammu nition, money, &c. ; these were transferred to the Japan, Jones superintending the operation. While so engaged Jones met witness near the engine house, and said to him it would be a good thing for him (Stanley) if he went in the Japan. Lieut. Maury was on board at first in plain clothes, but afterwards in the uniform of the Confederate navy, Maury said the name of the vessel was about to be changed, and that she was going to sail underanother flag. She was then re christened the Georgia, and the Confederate flag was hoisted. Jones was standing close by Maury when this took place. Jones and Maury then said that any man joining the ship would receive £lO bounty, and £1 10s per month wages, Witness with the other men then went into the cabin, where he was paid £lO by the purser. He gave the money to Jones to transfer to his wife on his return to Liver pool. Jones also promised to pay half his (Stanley's) wages to his wife while he was absent. Witness then proceeded in the Georgia on a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, then returned in her to Brest, and, having there obtained a day's leave, made the best of his way to Liverpool. On his arri val at that port he wont to Jones and Co.'s office to ask for money, as he was then hard up, but they refused to give him any, remarking that some of the crew had deserted the ship. Other witnesses were examined, and gave evidence which went to show that Jones and also Wilding had dealt in ad vance notes for the crew of the steamer. The defendants were both committed for trial, but were admitted to bail, Jones himself in £5OO, and two sureties of £5O each; Wilding in £5O, and two sureties of £25 each. Elopement and Charge of Robbery. At the Salisbury Police-court, on Monday, a young mar ried man, named James Stainton, a clerk in the employ of the South-Western Railway Company, was charged with having feloniously stolen £5O, the property of Mr. Charles William Harris, landlord of the London Inn, Salisbury. Mr. Whatman prosecuted, and Mr. Wilson defended the prisoner, who was formerly the superintendent of the Dinton station of the South Western Railway Company, but about six months since he was transferred to Salisbury, where he has acted as booking-clerk, During the past three weeks he has been appointed parcel-clerk at the Salisbury station. During his visits to the prosecutor's house an in timacy sprang up between the prisoner and Mrs. llarris, which resulted in the present charge. Mr. W. Harris gave evidence to the effect that on the 20th inst. his wife suddenly and unexpectedly loft home, and that the prisoner, who was at his house when he dis covered the fact, expressed considerable sorry at the affair, and pretended to use his best efforts to discover where Mrs. Harris had gone to. He subsequently missed a box con taining £5O or £OO, and had since received the following letters,one of which was intercepted, and others found upon tho prisoner. The letter found upon the prisoner was as follows. It was directed to " Mr. J. Stainton, Salisbury Railway Sta tion, Salisbury" : "A. W. Z.—To be left at the Post-office, Islington, till called for. "Here I am, my darling, almost afraid to write to you, in case you may be watched very closely. Write by return; save the London post in the morning. lam so anxious to hear from you. lam very comfortable, but shall get into fresh quarters in a day or so. I cannot give you any parti culars. lam so—so nervous. My idea is to write to a friend of mine, an Indian colonel, and get information about my going to India ; what do you think ? I would rather be oil at once. Send the traps to the Gr eenwich Station till called for, to Mrs. (not Miss) Wilson. I will ru n dow n there on Saturday. lam not sufficiently com p osed to write a lengthy letter. Good bye, God bless you. Do you under stand to address your letter as above, that is—A. W. Z., &c. God bless you. I have just been to Highbury to have a look at your place. The house immediately before the en trance to the yard has every blind drawn down ; it gave me such a turn, although I do not know it to be your father's. Do not fail to write, my o w n loved one." The intercepted letter was addressed to Mr. James Stain ton, Clerk, S. W. Railway, Salisbury , Wilts , Salisbury past mark, Jan. 22d, 1864, an d was as follows : " Here's a pretty pickle. I went just now to the P. 0. at Islington. Informed all letters so addressed were detained at General P. Office. Went there, and further informed no letters with initials taken in, but opened and forwarded as dead letter to writer. lem hot and cold, and I hope you did not put any name ; then you will take no further trouble about it. I will run down to Greenwich to-morrow in case you may have sent on the parcel. 'Write to me immediately you got this, my darling, or I shall go out of my mind. If you do not, I cannot get a letter from you till Monday. I shall therefore look out to-morrow afte rnoon . Direct, Miss Wilson, Thompson's Family Hotel, 10, Pentonville-road, London, N. I shall remain here a few days. If you find it desirable for me to change quarters because of any fresh turn up, write a message and send some lad in tho tele graph-office. Say ' Change and write ;' and ic you think it desirable for me to change, not write, say ' Chlnge and Pedro.' I will then advertise in the _Daily Telegraph to Pedro. I can do nothing, my love, until I year from you. I hope all's well. I went to inquire about a passage in the Duleep Singh—£6o—stiffish I Tell me, can I write unre servedly to you without fear? Good bye, write my eternal love. God bless you." S u po l intendent Daidow proved taking the prisoner into c ustody on Friday upon the charg e of aiding, abetting, and receiving from Mrs. Harris money and wearing apparel be longing to her husband. H o re plied, "I did not; nor have I anything belonging to either Mr. or Mrs. Harris." In a desk in the prisoner's office there was a parcel, and I asked the prisoner to whom it belonged, and he replied "It is my parcel ; I have got to pay 7d. for it." The par • cel was directed to Mrs. 'Wilson, Waterloo Station, There SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, TlMES.—After a silence of two months Mr. Bright has at length accepted the challenge which during all his long and angry correspondence with this journal Mr. Cobden most carefully eluded—the challenge to state what those measures were, not to be passed in our present Parliament, but which would be passed under a Parliament democratically elected, the effect of which would be to abolish feu dalism and redeem the agricultural labourer from his present poverty and serfdom. We denied that any such measure could be pointed out, or that there was the slightest reason to suppose that the present Parliament would be ill disposed to enter tain it if it could be discovered. Mr. Bright has undertaken to do what his champion, Mr. Cobden, did not venture to attempt, and we beg especial attention to the manner in which he has acquitted himself of his undertaking. We dismiss as irrele vant, distasteful to ourselves, and wearisome to the public, the personalities with which these cham pions of freedom have thought fit to encumber a question in itself neither unimportant nor uninte resting. It matters very little to any one except himself in what society the Editor of this journal moves, or where he spends the hours of relaxation which Mr. Bright devotes to the smoking-room of the House of Commons or the billiard-room of the Reform Club. It will be time enough to accuse any gentleman interested in the Times of seeking for a peerage when it can be shown that he has ever striven to push himself into a position beyond that which naturally belongs to him, when he can be shown to have sought any favour at the hands of the Government, or when the public is ready to assume, as Mr. Bright does, that a connection with the Press is a virtual disqualification for any office or any honour for which a person may otherwise be fits To appeal for proof of groundless asser tions td " the gossip of the Clubs" is a shabby artifice, and to eel that an intelligence which comes into hostile collision with his own is " godless intellect and practical atheism" is to employ a weapon which in these days , the most grovelling fanatics scarcely condescend to use. The existence of a Deity rests on evidence differing both in kind and in degree from that dis torted political economy for which Mr. Bright seems to claim something like a special revelation to him self, and impossible as it may seem to Mr. Bright, people can be found who believe in God but have not the slightest belief in him. The Times is public property, its eseenee is notoriety, it will be judged by its advised utterances as daily put forth, and not by the gossip of clubs or second-hand tattle about political or fashionable society. What, then, is that law which Mr. Bright thinks could be carried in a more democratic Parliament, and cannot be carried in the present Parliament, which would redeem the agricultural labourer from his present poverty and degradation ? Of course by making the change depend on a change in the electoral franchise Mr. Bright excludes the notion of force or outrage, and implies that everything would be done by consti trted authority. It is ridiculous, therefore, to charge us with inconsistency for denying that whioh we never asserted. We have said, and we say it again, that we know of no law which could distribute the lands of the rich among the poor which did not make the alienation compulsory and the distribu tion gratuitous 1 the alienation compulsory because the rich will not voluntarily part with their land, and the distribution gratuitous because the poor have no money with which to buy it. We gave Mr. Bright credit—though it seems we ought not to have done so—for really meaning what he said. We did not at that time believe that he WAS capable of re presenting the poverty and misery of a million and a half of his fellow-subjects as removable by en act of legislation, without having formed to himself the least idea of any measure adequate to effect stich a result. Mr. Bright repudiates as inadequate the proposal for a Union settlement, and for abolishing criminal liabilities for breaches of contract to labour. So, of course, they are. Here, then, is his remedy. He proposes that in case of intestacy landed pro perty should go among the next of kin instead of to the eldest son, and he proposes that no devise of land shall be made to any unborn person. That is all, absolutely all, and these pro visions, Me. Bright has the face to tell us, would remedy the present poverty, serfdom, and degrada tion of the agricultural labourer and enable him to become a farmer. Surely never did such enormous promises end in a conclusion so contemptible ? It is just as if Mr. Bright were to undertake to make a ploughman live as well as an alderman by taking off the duties on claret and champagne. We will not discuss the policy of these measures. They may be good or bad as matters of Law Reform, but we will submit to Mr. Bright a few questions which we trust he will answer in his speech this evening : If these measures would have this immense effect in improving the condition of the agricultural la bourer, why has Mr. Bright never proposed them before ? Why has he not given the present Parlia ment the opportunity of pronouncing an opinion upon them ? Why has he not communicated to the world the secret of their connection with the wel fare of the poor, which is known, apparently, to himself alone? and why, in the name of truth and justice, does he revile the present Parliament for not passing measures which have never been brought before it, and call upon us to make a political revo lution in order to obtain a Legislature to do that which onr present Legislature has not refused to do ? Mr. Bright anticipates that he will be told his measures would be inoperative, because few men die without a will. This only shows how much superficiality may be concealed under how much arrogance. Mr. Bright, apparently, does not know that the great mass of landed property in England does not pass by will at all, but by settlements exe cuted on the marriage of the eldest son. We would next like to ask how the abolition of devises to un born persons, or the devolution of land to the next of kin under a contingency which very seldom takes place, will help the poor to the acquisition of land, either as tenants or freeholders. Will these laws ' make the proprietor willing to cut up his estate into small holdings? Will they give the labourer, such as Mr. Bright describes him, the power to pur chase ? Will they give him the means of affording that most expensive of-all luxuries in this country, an investment in land ? Will they give him capital to buy stock? Will they give him skill and know ledge to make the best of his property ? Will they enable him to compete with a large capitalist? Will they enable him to resist the temptation to sell to a rich neighbour at a price which will double his income, and leave him free to earn wages besides ? And, above all, will any change in the law of suc cession to landed property give the poor man the industry, the temperance, the self-denial, and eco nomy to which alone the poor can look for advance ment in life? Will any law put England, where land is the most highly-prized of all possessions, on a level with America or Australia, where it is a of himself and of the Lunacy disregarding it—more especially if in the opinict i s most an' d ' prisoner appeared perfectly sane. It Grey all ul ni fortunate, therefore, that Sir George have neglected so long to elicit those rep under ' l ' l3 — the magistrate' who signed the certificate und.er which he aettd. If he had done so the probability is that Townley would never have been reprieve_d: Thus it seems that two grave errors at least have been committed in this bi; oth ; the second is that Sir'GeOrge -Commissioners th eiL:ess. The first is that the h judge displayed weakness or inconsistency, 0.. Grey was e tc) ! hastybad, in acting upon the certificatt.• The dstattnhtols Parliament ought to be amended. But ntn ell , p i , s on Ifirmness may, it requires to be 00 110 3 J of and discretion. --...• drug P Mr. Bright speaks of the intricacies of title and the difficulties of conveyancing. He appears to think that these things exist for the benefit of the rich, on whose estates they are a heavy burden, and that the landowners are in a conspiracy to keep them up in order to prevent themselves from selling their own land, should they feel inclined to do so. So little is Mr. Bright acquainted with this subject, so entirely has he confined his attention to that part of it which may serve to breed discontent and ill-will between the poor and the rich, that he does not seem to be aware that the very Parlia ment which he reviles has taken a measure of unexampled boldness in order to facilitate the sale and transfer of land. Observing the ex treme simplicity of the title to funded stock , the pre sent Parliament has invented an elaborate ma chinery at great public expense for extending the same facility of transfer to land, so far as the differ ence between land and money allows the thing to M b© done, and any landowner who chooses to submit but spi has been effected to-day in the yarn-market, . 0 . 0 0, his title for investigation may henceforth convey iANCHESTER, Jan. 2G . — No business of any .0, 1 desire t n+ 1 and do not evince any his land to a purchaser with the most perfect ease are tolerably firm, fr all markets, home and foreig._o4,. and security. That more may be done in the same sales. The demand o Where there has been 019 lisp direction cannot be doubted. The question is not alike without animation. . _ been a i fan o rs 13 ' as to the propriety of simplifying title, but as tomaim c,, awe- sor the means of doing it. It is a business of close of buyers. In home trade yarnsffect '“ i _ ‘pa sition to business the tendency of prices has te .ri eo , thought and painstaking investigation, scientific shown less disposition than ever to e rather than political, to be settled, not by great sera are quoting last week's prices, . t is said m O t P i l leir orators bawling on platforms, but by learned and the discouragement from buyers that ir to if — the laborious men iu quiet chambers. We have in this ners are returning home with the resoluti on _we with is whole transaction a very good illustration of the mills less time than they are now doing, and b" -- s irs; altogether. op d way in which, notwithstanding much oratorical intention of stopping their machinery eas , ability and considerable public services, Mr. Bright of 10,000 extra applicants for relief to boards of P... peon' 9th irist.w has contrived to dispose of what might have been a and local relief boards were reported on the a _ ..,. 011 was a b si a ; great political reputation. He begins by reproach- sequence of mills closing. A still larger dog' „ is e verY r ro 4 ing the laws of the country, without giving himself in the week ending on the 18th, and there wn out of woo. but Psour--e-lesaVha-. the trouble to ascertain what those laws really are, bility that by Monday next the hands th 3 , 000 to 4° ,' O o st with the poverty of a portion of the population. in the shorts pace of one month will be reached WI ° lot Challenged to specify the remedy to which he points, And yet the crisis does not appear to have .ia _ ace 90 t he takes two months for consideration, and then Point. The cloth market to-day is quite as . l ea a re sr propounds one so ridiculously inadequate as to prove for yarns, and more looms as well as more simf ...d eeealf, that it is an after-thought invented to meet the case ; ken of as likely to be stopped as the result Of "„ the el o r. and yet, with all this time to get it up, he cannot rience of the market. Things are not worse in vot ed F: " 13ola avoid showing how very little knowledge he has of market than they were last Tuesday ; indeed, d .. the grounds on which he presumes to censure the difficult to conceive them worse. From Calcutta'7l; el: Legislature of which he is a member. If the affairs bay the last letters to hand read very discourag lpg __ t i i . ono of a nation could be put to rights by personal abuse the monetary difficultiesincreasing and some failure_otok be corl or vague declamation, Mr. Bright would long ago of small concerns) in the bazaar. With such acog iv r io e go* have extirpated every evil under the sun. It is them shippers to those markets are making few ? o r es 000 because their remedy requires care, patience, and and those they have made have mostly been at pri rer m on ey application that these geoundless invectives have to meet with consideration. The prospect of de a ~i iesr ioe recoiled on their authors, ace that while seeking to at home and the fears arising out of political coltiices. discredit the institutions of their eGuntry they have on the continent have also a tendency to re strict i, O damaged nobody but themselves. LEEDS, 26th.—For a Tuesday's market, there Sprint s to-daY iso amount of business done in the cloth-halls sold ..,, .., DAILY NEWL—The ultimate fate of Town:fv is goods, both plain and fancy, were in moderate re 7; joo still undetermined. Sir George Grey has publicly ' fabric' B ° l declared that the unfortunate man has been respited the aggregate bulk of those and ordinary t .a ~c , ge ne by being removed to Bedlam, but that his sentence eaten that there is a slight improvemen 1 oo r an d p i : o has not been commuted. Under the Act of Parlia- woollen tn.. le of the town. Prices of both sy ,„ as of Y e ,„ went which has been called into operation, Sir G. are firm. The flax trade is steady, and latepri are a see Grey has power upon the certificate of two medical and threads, as well as of the raw material, sar men to remove Townley back to prison. In an tained. GO from , er ordinary case this course would not be followed, for NOTTINGHAM, 26th.—Tho warlike news _ b to P it seems to be a standing rule that after sentence of had a very depressing effect upon busines e e e a l ; ing ly 6: er death is once delayed it is never carried into exe- change hall to-day. Lace yarns ;net an e " to ke ria er e cution. But the circumstances of Town ley's case sale, and in some cases holders were willing to _ C r ates ! to are so peculiar that it is just possible Sir George less money—in most instances, however, la the little dal tlis Grey might feel himself justified in making made. In hosiery yarns there was also yell_ 401 .4 it an exception to the ordinary rule. At the same and prices were unchanged. No alteration 111 , , wss §dw time the tenderness for human life is a feeling demand being quiet. For brown nets the Boman , fen so natural that it will surprise no one if Townley and, if anything, prices were less firm. ot been pia escapes the doom which he certainly deserves. ROCHDALE, 25th,—The flannel market hao a f b ee P os But whatever be Townley's fate, it is of vital active to-day. Purchasers bought sparing erg ill t rh importance to the public to ascertain upon whom and fancy goods, being in some measure oh o i a ote/ e i o the blame rests for this miscarriage of justice. The operations by the prices demanded by th e Ina o f the li od e manifestation of feeling which took place on the who are seeking some advance in consequellee re in ra 06 occasion of Wright's execution proves clearly enough price of the raw material. Yorkshire goods / ve , et but vi that the public are keenly alive to the manner in rate request: The wool trade was rather rit t l it ; s via e ' which the law in such cases is administered. Capital dealers were very firm in their demands, at Nil punishment cannot continue to be inflicted, unless prices, it be inflicted with strict impartiality. The poorer classes are deeply impressed by the contrast exhi bited between the fate of Wright and the fate of Townley. If there are people who believe Townley insane, there are quite as many, perhaps more, who believe that Wright was only guilty of man slaughter. Nor would it he easy to persuade most men that if Wright had had the assistance of influ ential friends and an astute attorney, he might not have produced an effect upon the Secretary of State. These considerations ought to make that Minister especially cautious; and even although under ordi nary circumstances Townley ought not to be con signed to the hands of the executioner, the conduct of Sir George Grey in the case of Wright may com pel him to adopt a different course. As in all serious cases, it is, of course, by no means easy to ascertain who is really responsible for the respite of Town ley. At the trial, Mr. Baron Martin, the presiding Judge, delivered himself to the jury in a manner which was evidently intended to ensure a convic tion, and the conviction was obtained. When he delivered his charge he seemed to entertain no doubt whatever of the guilt of the prisoner, and of his responsibility both at the time he committed the crime and at the time of the trial. So far, there fore, it would seem that the Judge was free from blame, and did his duty without flinching. Sir George Grey declares that he entertained no doubt of the sanity of the prisoner. He did undoubtedly reprieve him, but in so doing he insists that he acted in strict conformity with the Act of Parliament which he could not disobey. The two certificates which were forwarded to him were in accordance with the provisions of the statute, and in obeying it he merely acted ministerially. All this seems clear enough, and the only conclusion world seem to be that the law must be altered, for the lac only has been in fault. But, unfortunately, this is no: the whole story. Baron Martin had scarcely delivered his vigorous charge to the jury who convicted Toeenley before he sat down to write a letter to the Home Secre tary, requesting him to make inquiry as to wikether the prisoner was then sane. This, as it seems to us, was either a mistake or an set of weakness. It was a mistake if Baron Martin believed that the prisoner who stood before him was insane, because he had power himself to inquire into the state of the prisoner's mind. And even although the jury might have believed him to be sane at the time of the murder,the judge ought not to have pronounced sentence if he believed him insane at the time of his trial. To pronounce the solemn sentence of death, with ouch a conviction in the judge's mind, would have been an outrageous mockery. It was an act of weakness if the judge, having doubts as to the sanity of the prisoner before him, but thinking that no such doubts existed in the minds of the jury, withdrew this question from the legitimate tribunal, and threw the responsibility of the execution upon the Home Secretary or his medical advisers. If the judge at the time of the trial entertained the same doubts whiett he entertained a few hours later, ho ought to have stated them boldly to the jury, and not reserved them for a. letter to the Secretary of State. It is impossible for the Home Secretary to ignore the suggestion of a judge who tries a pri soner. If Mr. Justice Blackburn had dsplayed less firmness than he did display in the case of Wright, that criminal might have escaped the penalty of death, If Baron Martin had displayed more firm ness or more openness of conduct he would have maintained better the dignity of the Bench. It was certainly quite right that Sir George Grey should direct an inquiry into the sanity of Townley; and if the result of that inquiry had been that in the opinion of those appointed to make it Townley was insane, Sir George Grey would have been justified in acting upon their certificate. But a very different course was pursued. At the very moment when the Lunacy Commissioners were conducting their inquiry at the instigation of the Home-office, other persons were conducting a similar inquiry on their own account. At the very moment when Sir George Grey was told by these self-appointed inquirers that Townley was insane, he was told by his own nominees that Townley was responsible for his actions, and ought to suffer death. Under such circumstances what would any reasonable man do ? Believing, a t : he did himself, that the insanity of Townley was a fic tion—believing, as he must, that the opinion of the Lunacy Commissioners deserved great weight, and that even if the Derbyshire certificate were acted upon it might be overruled by the Commissioners, what was his duty ? Ought not Sir George Grey to have paused ? Ought he net to have m a d e in quiry ? Ought he not at least to have ascertained that the magistrates and medical men who signed the certificate were acting bona fide, or acting at all events with full knowledge of the consequencesof putting their names to such a document 0 It was well known to many that strong opinions • were en tertained in some q uar t ers that Townley was insane, and surely Sir George Grey has had experience enough in the Home Office to know that those who desire the abolition . of capital punishment use every case as a lever t o promote the object 5' they have i n view. That Sir George Grey neces sity of inqui r i ng i nto the h believed in the istory of such certificates is plain, for in this very case he has ea led upon the magistrates who signed i The pity • it to explain their conduct. is that this step was not taken earlier. If it had been it is possible Sir Grey that George might have felt somedifi It can ,. 1 culty in acting upon it. scarcely be literally true that under the statute any certificate, provided it be signed by any two magistrates and any two physicians or Surgeons, must be obey e d by the Home Secre tary. Those who sign it must surely understand what they are ab out . But Mr. W. Hugh Scott, one of the magistrates who did sign, distinctly says that although he thought Townley insa ne, " he was unaware of th e effect" of the certificate "as regarded" the Home Secretary. At all events, it seems tolerably clear that if, u pon inquiry, the Home Secretary believes that those who signed the certificate are either closely connected with the prisoner, or have expressed a strong opinion in his favour, he would be amply justified in FT Esotioally - - STATE OF TRADE. D 36 pt COUNTRY MAREETS. MONMOUTH—TuEs . d the 9 'l - ti • iv. Rather mild weather has again set in, bp o ho are able to proceed with agricultural operation!etsbos terruption. The attendance at the local ico ar% p far 4 moderate, with an average business, and a ll 30 deney in prices. ~ 3 a 2.4 Wheat, white 5s Od to 5s 9d Barley.. ...... p l Oa t4 Ditto red .0s Od to Os Od I Oats ..... • • MELTON MOWBRAY—TITSSI3II3i teViolletif The following were the currencies • —New , 36 ‘ 6 , 4 t.; 43s Od to 45s Od ; new red, 40s Od . to 43s 1 3— n et ° fa beans, 36s to Xs for old ; new sorts, 33s to 368 ! s pr ti r ' barley, 34s> 36sifor malting, an 285 to 30s per 1r f o ri! 2 l B din s. g; new oats, lbs, to 22s Od per 24 atonei HIILL—TvEcDAY. ville ilb o po' At this day's market the show of Eng , i s d ove ° , rather short, and in some instances ls per qr h a er li et d te 4 last week's rates was given. Foreign a ra t ping - to o/ Barley for grinding in fair demand, but in „molt A tions quite neglected, Oats were firm and chi. 440 Beans sold better but peas very dull. 0a t° °1 Wheat.... Old white per qr ......... a -48 to 50 Old red . 40 d to 4 0 0 ....... 418 0 400 Od New white New red Barley.... English malting: ........... to Os 0 240 Grinding .................. n 2s 0 0 310 0 Saal and Oderbruck ........ o„, oto Holstein and Dani5h........ 3 u p od to '',45 Grinding 29 to AOa Oats English, old 229 dto _„tit os l2l 0 31° P Archangel and Riga, per st• • nsi sa to, o 05 1, 4 Friesland and Dutch .......• '6, 12 0 I ' o l Swedish and Danish Beans ....English, old, per qr ........ • 4 2 s Oa , t° 411 6J New pigeon New tick od to , Egyptian Peas ..Foreign boilers .......... ' 3 ` 2s Od , / 0 Grinding .................. od to 349 Tares Spring ..................... od ,t ° o 6 60 5 Indian Corn .... ' 528 Oa ' to Os 0 Linseed, feeding ...................... 400 ° a i 0 ° 0 crushing e ...... 0 9 Linseed cakes (Hull) ,£9 oto 0° 0 Rape cakes Foreign: ............05 1 oto 61 0 5 5 Bones ____ AO LYNN--- , TITENDI T ' bes 4 00 At to-day's market there was a fair shonf: yid s Or met an inactive sale, and the prices o:,otitprell' unchanged. Oats aLd other articles at am so 0 3 1: rencics. ..**'sos 0 2¢s White ..43s to 45s i Barl e y ..• • *:,, •'iso 0 . ..4 Rcd.. 39s to 41s 1 Grindisig"',..• ' ',. -0 Beans .33s to 355••••,•,.. New 35s to 37s 1 Pea s....** MARKE T ' e 00P c. al ClOSe n, d, e. the Wg,llB i 10 a 9 0 .1 9 9 Heugh 119. .• ' K olio. •• • '''' • l9 0 South . 18 9 Hartlepool .. • .0... 0 Riddell ..... 9 East Hartlepotutoo.....!l Braddylroji,kerpley •• 0 Tiintdca •L''''° "I Tunstall •• • .20 0 Hassvell.• • • • ' . 0 Hetton ....... ‘ ,O O Caradoc ..... • • South Hetton.....e., .0:16 i Cassop! ... . 0 01...'' North tiartleP 320; sold. 211. COAL Prloos of_Coal per Ton al s. d. Buddle'sWest Hartley 15 0 Byass's Bebside West Hartley ...15 0 Lambert's West Hart-: ley 14 9 Walker Primrose 14 3 Cowpen Hartley 15 0 Hastings Hartley l5 0 Holywell 19 0 Wylam 17 6 West Wylam.. l6 9 Eden Main ..18 6 West Hartley .. 15 0 Tantield Moor 15 6 Walls End. Byron 18 0 Ships at market, 0 116./ 0 _ --- . e it 01 010, [ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoways Ontn3-- d iop., t o Instant Relief.—Sores which are dell) ? e tei? 03°' 9 r which are hourly deepening may be arrested 111 40 0 Di j o‘ turing progress , and induced to take healthY e% r oily Plying thib healing Ointment and taking t l3 „ e f l o il 111 .11, Pills. It soothes all distempers of, and Oir 4 '` intlef i ote' humours t _ from, the skm• Old ulcers of the legl the r - iie IP, ae tons caused by varicose veins and crionlii° :d Di 010 limb', can sensibly be eased and shortly cusses eon' pi way's never failing Ointment, which '1:IA0106oe and stimulates sluggish vascular and nervoula, stia c ol' constitutions breaking down under piles, f i g lost i tili° col similarly.painful maladies, a few alpapications c . , O tte hag Ointment will give comtort, and sisteilv will effect a cure. ----------------" Births. 0 01IC) GORDO::•—OG the 23d inst at Detroit. Ciraf Lijoi4/1P Guernsey; the wife of Lieui;nant-Colouel i'" JO a daughter. 0 0 00 LALAING.—On the 24th inst., at Brussels, th e C° Lalaing, of a daughte.r. 4 V!' LOCILWOOD.--On the 27th ;net , the wife of Craallioeer"' wood, Esq., of 16, Highb-11Y-place, sad 7 ' t°t If' hall-court, of a daughter. tta• YovNcn•—On the 26th inst., at Dullvich-conlvoP a eon. tdarriageS• 0 lir , , iv, BATT ISCOMBE —BRANFILL --On the 26th. lathe 63 , ;, - jp. niinster, Walter E. S. Ba.ttiscombe BSil 9 I '..-1 t° '' gitnent, to Agnes J. Branfill, clang-liter of the la t° o' Branfill, Esq., of Upminster gall. ®p ris eibilcitil' CEILTON—TODD ---On the 26th inst. at the rj3asTit, - or. 'ateanndolfe'Zonr,raraptonshire, George'lloriLetlooter of of solicitor, to Isabel! uo Richard Toild,n, r, Deaths• r od , 14 Rm./vs.—On the 26th inst., at 314, garylebolle- JO lO Richard Evans, aged 94. ~.0 late ,Ctf GOSNELL.—On the `26th inst . Ann, relict 0ft.1,0 Gosnell, Esq., of 12, Th.r,e Eling•c °u L uly o r aged 81. at g•F s r Tlycle-P oor KINDIMSLEY.—On the 27th inst., a l , 7 . , - - 1 itec a " dens, Mary Anne, the wife of the Vico.c,ll et, Richard 'l. Rindersley, aged 67. nor4troliec MEREDYTIL—On the dsth inst., at Orosv,rtii, t rosvenor-square, the Dowager Lady 1 4° T . 1 l' , of the late Sir Joshua Collis geredyth, J 361. .groisier d. SEAnnoox.—On the 25th inst., Seabrook, E.. wed 6' Wood, 61 l';'11.1 at BrightOt '''' ee l• VlBA.RT.—On'the 25th ;Us. t., at Chillisoge . ton, James `►bars, Esq , Commander .0 ., ~ . - i ~ ---------- gAZIOW,jIi, London : Prinzed and rut -quilted Dy W I IA i.,0 /0' di of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TO Sin t (y 0 Strand. Ln tl►e Precinct of the savey, Jo 1 , Middlesex --Thursday, Jailuary 2i, 186#•